Hollywood movie and television stars used to be recognized for iconic portrayals of memorable characters, fierce fashion and looks and abilities to bring a film or TV show to life. These days, however, it seems like most actors and actresses are becoming more acknowledged for outrageous and inappropriate behaviors off the screen, such as getting arrested, public intoxication and feuds with other celebrities.
Well-known actress Lindsay Lohan started out as a young starlet with a promising future when the 1998 movie “The Parent Trap” premiered in theaters. With dozens of movies that followed—including “Freaky Friday” (2003), “Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen” (2004) and “Mean Girls” (2004)—it seemed as though Lohan was headed in the right direction with her personal life and acting career.
After the hit film “Mean Girls” came out, Lohan turned 18 years old around the same time and became “frenemies” with then-pals Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Britney Spears. With their histories of public meltdowns, confrontations with the law and drug issues, it was a recipe for disaster. She has been spiraling downward ever since, unfortunately, with rumors of numerous drug problems, eating disorders, DUIs, drug and theft charges, jail time, legal problems and substance abuse. Lohan appears to be following in the footsteps of icons like Marilyn Monroe, Anna Nicole Smith and Kurt Cobain.
A recent article, from PopEater.com, titled “Lindsay to Drop ‘Lohan’ From Her Name, Says Mom,” written by Rob Shuter, on March 25, said Lohan has made the decision to officially drop her last name, unlike her mother and younger sister, who have opted to change theirs back to Lohan’s mother’s maiden name, Sullivan. The article also mentioned, “It was only after the infamous Super Bowl E-trade advertisement referring to a baby as ‘that milkaholic Lindsay,’ that the actress knew she no longer needed it.”
While Lohan has made a name for herself throughout the last decade from the movies and TV shows she has been in, her name is nowhere near as unique as Madonna’s, Beyonce’s or Oprah’s, and she is definitely not on the same level of fame as Cher, Prince or Sting, among others. A follow-up article, from PopEater.com, titled “Sorry Lindsay, But You’ll Always Be Lohan,” written by Zach Dionne, on March 28, even said, “When you don’t do anything significant, you can’t ask us to one-name you.” There are no famous Lindsays in the business, and she just hasn’t earned that right yet.
If Lohan wants to simply be known by her first name, she needs to clean up her act to give fans and film and TV critics the chance to fall in love with her again. She must revert back to the person she was before she went down the troubled path she is still on now. She needs to stay sober, follow her probation orders, stay out of tabloids and realize it’s not too late to turn her life around.
People love positive and successful comeback stories, and it’s taking Lohan quite some time to get to where she wants to be and where we want her to be. Despite her efforts and attempts, it will take a lot of time, and she has a long way to go before she can known as just Lindsay.